Scheduled for Poster Session: The Study and Assessment of Activity and Performance Across Disciplines, Friday, April 11, 2008, 8:45 AM - 10:15 AM, Convention Center: Exhibit Hall, Reseach Consortium Poster Sessions


What Are the Constraints of Golfers?

Sunhwan Hwang and Doyeon Won, University of Georgia, Athens, GA

According to the National Golf Foundation (2006), the total number of golfers has decreased in the United States during the recent years. Given that participants are the lifeblood of any leisure activity, it is essential to be aware of the barriers that prevent people who would like to play golf from playing. Thus, the objective of the study was to discuss the barriers/constraints concerning golfing activities and to explore the influence of golfers' age, income, and golfing frequencies on perceived constraints. The data were collected from 156 golfers at three different public courses in a Southeastern state. Leisure constraints were measured using a 16-item measure adapted from Jackson's (1993) study. Respondents were asked to rate the extent to which each of the 16 barriers (6 sub dimensions) limited how much golf they played. The responses were measured on a 5-point scale with 5 constituting the most severe barrier. The results of the descriptive statistics revealed that ‘cost' was the biggest constraint in playing golf (M = 3.00), followed by 'time' (2.86), 'facility' (2.54), 'social isolation' (2.40), 'access' (2.31), and 'personal reasons' (2.22). Based on golfers' age, ‘time' was a bigger constraint for the younger golfers (M = 3.05) than for the older golfers (2.69), t(154) = 2.30 at p = .023. Two group differences were found based on respondents' income levels (i.e., $40K and below, between $41K and $70K, $71K or more). The low income group (M = 2.76) perceived ‘access' as a bigger constraint than the middle (2.24) and high income (2.10) groups, F(2, 153) = 4.12 at p = .018. As would be presumed, the low income group rated ‘cost' as a bigger constraint (M = 3.26) than the middle (3.09) and high (2.67) income groups, F(2, 153) = 3.06 at p < .05. In addition, frequent golfers (4 rounds or more per month; n = 86) perceived ‘personal reasons' as a bigger constraint (M = 2.41) than the less frequent golfers (M = 2.00), t(154) = 2.16 at p = .032. On the other hand, less frequent golfers felt ‘time' was a bigger constraint (M = 3.05) than the more frequent golfers (M = 2.71), t(154) = 2.14 at p = .034. Along with these results, managers should develop marketing strategies to attract more golfers and provide better ways to negotiate constraints. Additional managerial implications will be discussed.
Keyword(s): active participation, recreation, sport management

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